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rode¡¡quietly¡¡to¡¡the¡¡rear£»¡¡where¡¡he¡¡found¡¡a¡¡peon¡¡nodding¡¡within
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water¡£¡¨

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here¡¡to¡­day£»¡¡an¡¡American¡£¡¨

¡¨What¡¡did¡¡he¡¡say¡¡to¡¡thee£¿¡¨

¡¨That¡¡he¡¡would¡¡call¡¡again£»¡¡Senor¡£¡¨

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address¡¡had¡¡the¡¡grace¡¡and¡¡polish¡¡of¡¡a¡¡cultured¡¡gentleman¡£

¡¨I¡¡wish¡¡to¡¡see¡¡Dr¡£¡¡Worth£»¡¡Dona¡£¡¨

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of¡¡her¡¡father's¡¡office¡£¡¡¡¡She¡¡was¡¡the¡¡only¡¡one¡¡in¡¡the¡¡Doctor's
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fearlessly£»¡¡saying£»¡¡¡¨Father£»¡¡here¡¡is¡¡a¡¡gentleman¡¡who¡¡wishes¡¡to
see¡¡you¡£¡¨

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of¡¡clean£»¡¡white¡¡linen£»¡¡was¡¡lying¡¡on¡¡a¡¡couch¡¡reading¡£¡¡¡¡He¡¡arose
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Antonia¡¡had¡¡disappeared¡£¡¡¡¡They¡¡were¡¡quite¡¡alone¡£

¡¨You¡¡are¡¡Doctor¡¡Robert¡¡Worth£»¡¡sir£¿¡¨

Their¡¡eyes¡¡met£»¡¡their¡¡souls¡¡knew¡¡each¡¡other¡£

¡¨And¡¡you¡¡are¡¡Sam¡¡Houston£¿¡¨

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also£»¡¡that¡¡you¡¡will¡¡have¡¡something¡¡to¡¡say¡¡to¡¡me£»¡¡and¡¡I¡¡to
you¡£¡¨

The¡¡most¡¡prudent¡¡of¡¡patriots¡¡could¡¡not¡¡have¡¡resisted¡¡this¡¡man¡£¡¡
He¡¡had¡¡that¡¡true¡¡imperial¡¡look¡¡which¡¡all¡¡born¡¡rulers¡¡of¡¡men
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Robert¡¡Worth¡¡acknowledged¡¡its¡¡power¡¡by¡¡his¡¡instant¡¡and
decisive¡¡answer¡£

¡¨I¡¡have£»¡¡indeed£»¡¡much¡¡to¡¡say¡¡to¡¡you¡£¡¡¡¡We¡¡shall¡¡have¡¡dinner
directly£»¡¡then¡¡you¡¡will¡¡give¡¡the¡¡night¡¡to¡¡me£¿¡¨

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Roberto¡£¡¡¡¡But¡¡what¡¡can¡¡my¡¡poor¡¡Manuel¡¡say¡¡when¡¡your¡¡Irishwoman
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all£¡'¡¨

¡¨I¡¡hope¡¡it¡¡is£»¡¡Maria£»¡¡for¡¡we¡¡have¡¡a¡¡visitor¡¡to¡­night¡£¡¨

¡¨Who£»¡¡then£»¡¡my¡¡love£¿¡¨

¡¨Mr¡£¡¡Houston¡£¡¨

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not¡¡see¡¡the¡¡man¡£¡¨

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Antonio¡£¡¡¡¡When¡¡a¡¡man¡¡does¡¡us¡¡a¡¡kindness£»¡¡we¡¡should¡¡say¡¡thank
you¡£¡¨

¡¨That¡¡is¡¡truth£»¡¡if¡¡the¡¡man¡¡is¡¡not¡¡the¡¡Evil¡¡One¡£¡¡¡¡As¡¡for¡¡this
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Valdez's¡£¡¨

¡¨I¡¡did¡¡hear¡£¡¡¡¡Everything¡¡was¡¡a¡¡lie¡£¡¨

¡¨But¡¡he¡¡is¡¡a¡¡very¡¡common¡¡man¡£¡¨

¡¨Maria£»¡¡do¡¡you¡¡call¡¡a¡¡soldier£»¡¡a¡¡lawyer£»¡¡a¡¡member¡¡of¡¡the
United¡¡States¡¡Congress£»¡¡a¡¡governor¡¡of¡¡a¡¡great¡¡State¡¡like
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things¡£¡¨

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left¡¡his¡¡high¡¡office¡¡and¡¡turned¡¡his¡¡back¡¡forever¡¡on¡¡his¡¡home¡£¡¨

¡¨Ah£¡¡¡the¡¡cruel¡¡woman¡£¡¡¡¡Holy¡¡Virgin£»¡¡what¡¡hard¡¡hearts¡¡thou¡¡hast
to¡¡pray¡¡for£¡¡¨

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she¡¡whispered¡¡softly£º¡¡¡¡¡¨My¡¡Robert£»¡¡it¡¡is¡¡a¡¡joy¡¡to¡¡please¡¡you¡£¡¡
I¡¡will¡¡be¡¡kind£»¡¡I¡¡will¡¡be¡¡grateful¡¡about¡¡Thomas¡£¡¡¡¡You
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Houston¡£¡¡¡¡Both¡¡men¡¡hesitated¡¡for¡¡a¡¡moment¡¡to¡¡open¡¡the
conversation¡£¡¡¡¡Worth£»¡¡because¡¡he¡¡was¡¡treading¡¡on¡¡unknown
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¡¨Thomas¡¡Worth¡¡is¡¡right¡£¡¡¡¡With¡¡such¡¡souls¡¡as¡¡his¡¡the¡¡foundation
of¡¡the¡¡state¡¡must¡¡be¡¡laid¡£¡¨

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more¡¡difficult¡¡thing¡£¡¡¡¡Yet¡¡no¡¡man¡¡now¡¡living¡¡has¡¡watched¡¡the
Americanizing¡¡of¡¡Texas¡¡with¡¡the¡¡interest¡¡that¡¡I¡¡have¡£¡¨

¡¨You¡¡have¡¡been¡¡long¡¡on¡¡the¡¡watch£»¡¡sir¡£¡¨

¡¨I¡¡was¡¡here¡¡when¡¡my¡¡countrymen¡¡came¡¡first£»¡¡in¡¡little¡¡companies
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priest¡¡Hidalgo¡¡in¡¡eighteen¡¡hundred¡¡and¡¡ten£»¡¡when¡¡Mexico¡¡made
her¡¡first¡¡attempt¡¡to¡¡throw¡¡off¡¡the¡¡Spanish¡¡yoke¡£¡¨

¡¨An¡¡unsuccessful¡¡attempt¡£¡¨

¡¨Yes¡£¡¡¡¡The¡¡next¡¡year¡¡I¡¡made¡¡a¡¡pretended¡¡professional¡¡journey
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They¡¡were¡¡shot¡¡with¡¡Hidalgo¡¡there¡£¡¨

¡¨Yet¡¡the¡¡strife¡¡for¡¡liberty¡¡went¡¡on¡£¡¨

¡¨It¡¡did¡£¡¡¡¡Two¡¡years¡¡afterwards£»¡¡Magee¡¡and¡¡Bernardo£»¡¡with
twelve¡¡hundred¡¡Americans£»¡¡raised¡¡the¡¡standard¡¡

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